Fran Bull

I thought this film was entertaining but with annoying flaws. Bradley Cooper is cute and sexy in general, but I never warmed to his character. Nor to his struggle. His perfectionism and ambition, his rage, his unfiltered unkindness, especially in the kitchen, towards his devoted helpers, was less interesting than unsettling. The secondary plot, his indebtedness to gangsters, was vague and underdeveloped. But, with all that, it was fun to see the hectic pace of a very high end kitchen and to see the results: exquisitely prepared and presented food. Siena Miller's character delivers the film's heartwarming and redeeming lesson, which I won't spell out so as not to spoil. It does make for a satisfying conclusion.

This is an utterly unique, exqusitely made film. It is visually dazzling, beyond imaginative, beautifully acted. Quantum reality is its theme. It asks very deep philosophical questions about who we humans are in the universe, and what really matters.

I started watching New Amsterdam from season one recently. I think it is a timely, fabulously, well written, well acted show. I love the array of characters. They are all so compelling and vivid. Each episode highlights a set of issues and values we need to be reminded of now in our country. At a time when we are so seemingly divided, this show reminds us of what’s truly important – – compassion, caring for one another, commitment to all that is human. The issues are incredibly relevant to our present day lives. The show takes up the most controversial themes without blinking, without pulling any punches. Yet there are always solutions, many of them incredibly creative. I have a feeling this show over time, will become one of the classics.